


The Vanity Is All For You

by Inkyrius



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-24 01:06:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19713202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkyrius/pseuds/Inkyrius
Summary: Magic follows Seto back from Egypt. He’d never admit it, but there’s a part of him, one he only acknowledges at 3 AM five layers into a stack of paperwork, that can only think, “Of course.” He’s honed denial to an art form, but even he has his limits. He knows that nothing in his life ever truly ends.





	The Vanity Is All For You

**Author's Note:**

> In my mind, this takes place in the same universe as [Beyond the Paradoxical](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9653522), but the fics aren't related, and you don't need to read that to understand this one.

Magic follows Seto back from Egypt. He’d never admit it, but there’s a part of him, one he only acknowledges at 3 AM five layers into a stack of paperwork, that can only think, “Of course.” He’s honed denial to an art form, but even he has his limits. He knows that nothing in his life ever truly ends.

He does his best to manage. He goes through his routine as usual, sits through pointless lectures and equally meaningless meetings. All the while, he does his best to ignore the familiar prickle of a Shadow Game about to begin. He tightens his grip on his mouse to block out the tingling in his fingertips. He even withdraws from dueling, for a time, telling himself there’s no point now that his rival is gone. He tries not to think about he might do in the heat of the moment.

It works, for a few months. He can almost convince himself that this is how he’s always lived. Maybe it’s the familiarity that makes him let his guard down.

He’s walking through a park with Mokuba on one of his rare breaks when it happens. A thug comes out of nowhere and grabs his brother. Seto almost wants to laugh: Mokuba’s expression is more irritated than afraid, and judging by the man’s clumsy movements, either of them could take him down in a heartbeat.

But the pressure that’s been building since Egypt descends, and the next thing Seto knows, there’s a dragon between him and the would-be kidnapper.

Seto’s too out of practice to even begin putting a name to what he’s feeling. Relief and resignation and pride and an overwhelming sense of awe flood through him, carrying eddies of other emotions he barely recognizes. The thug is equally stunned, his grip loosening as he gapes. Mokuba takes advantage of the opening, pulling free of the man’s grasp and bringing him down with a decisive series of blows.

Seto tears his gaze from the dragon, which is beginning to dissolve, and grabs his cell phone. As pathetic an attempt as it was, this man tried to hurt Mokuba. There will be no mercy for him.

They wait for the police in silence. Mokuba is bouncing with excitement, but he knows Seto isn’t going to discuss this in the open, and this isn’t the first time they’ve submitted a report like this. No one seems to have caught on to the fact that Mokuba isn’t as helpless as they’d like him to be.

Their statement is brief, and Mokuba does most of the talking. Seto is still reeling from his loss of self-control. It was shameful, it was wonderful, and he has no idea what to do about it.

The drive back to the mansion is far too short for his liking. Mokuba’s eyes are bright and curious, and Seto knows he won’t be able to avoid the questions any longer. They’re barely through the front door before Mokuba says, “That was amazing! How long have you been able to do that?”

Seto pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know,” he says. “I’ve mostly been trying not to.”

Mokuba frowns. “Are you really going back to pretending magic doesn’t exist? We both know you’re not that dense.”

“Of course not.” As much as he would like to, denial has only backfired on him so far. He’s not keen to repeat the experience. “What I’m going to do is figure out what I did, and then never do it again.”

“Nii-sama.” Mokuba gives him an unimpressed look. It’s remarkably cutting for someone so young. Seto would be prouder if it wasn’t aimed at him. “This is great! Why would you waste the ability to do magic?”

“If I wanted to summon Duel Monsters, I’d turn on a Duel Disk,” Seto says. “There’s no point in relying on this supernatural nonsense. What am I going to do, threaten our investors until they give us even more money?”

“You saved me with it,” Mokuba says. Seto’s about to point out that Mokuba had the situation under control, but Mokuba forges ahead before he can. “Besides, you don’t need a reason other than coolness. Can you imagine having real Blue Eyes Wite Dragons flying around your office?”

Seto wishes he were less predictable, but he can’t deny how tempting the mental image is. Mokuba seems genuinely thrilled about it, too. He grunts. “We’ll see.”

Mokuba grins. “Yes! Thank you!”

Seto considers pointing out that he hasn’t agreed to anything, but they both know that him softening his stance on this is as good as a yes. He doesn’t need Mokuba calling his bluff. “Later, though. Right now, I need to get in touch with our lawyer.”

Mokuba pouts, but doesn’t push his luck. “Fine. But I’m not going to forget about this. I’ll make you a wand myself if I have to.”

He runs off before Seto can say anything. It’s just as well, as his first response would have been something inane about not needing a wand in the first place. Seto shakes his head. He’s bought himself a little more time, but the overall situation remains unchanged. He needs to figure out what the hell has happened to him.

And, of course, he really does need to call their lawyer.

An hour later, he’s locking himself in his office. His secretary has been warned not to bother him for anything short of the Pharaoh’s return. The curtains are closed, and his phone is set to only allow Mokuba’s calls through. Even so, he feels strangely tense, like he’s about to be caught breaking some esoteric rule.

Magic isn’t for someone like him. He’s got his holograms and his virtual realities, and that’s enough. The magic in his life has all been brought about by other people, often against his will. He has no claim to it.

He shoves his nerves to the side and focuses on the Blue Eyes White Dragon. That part, at least, is easy. The dragon seems to take shape behind his eyes. Then it’s in the office with him, wings spread, tail lashing. He can almost feel the amusement radiating off of it.

He wants to bristle at the thought that he’s being laughed at, but in that moment, he can’t bring himself to care. The Blue Eyes is right in front of him, real and solid and decidedly his.

He doesn’t know how long he spends captivated by the dragon. His holograms don’t do it justice, can’t capture its true majesty and power. He’s only broken out of his trance by a voice echoing through his mind. “It’s about time, Seto. We’ve missed you.”

The voice is alien to him, but something about it is so achingly familiar that he pulls back instinctively. Just like that, the dragon is gone. He doesn’t know why the thought fills him with such a sense of loss.

A wave of exhaustion crashes over him a moment later, so sudden and intense that he all but falls back into his chair. He’s not sure why. Summoning the dragon felt as natural as breathing. It’s a good excuse to stop thinking about it for the day, though, and he seizes it greedily.

He turns on his computer, but when Mokuba calls an hour later, the screen has gone dark once again. Seto hasn’t so much as moved the mouse. He’s too caught up in his own thoughts.

He can’t justify it to himself, but he’s pretty sure he’s going to keep practicing magic after all.


End file.
